ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits

Overall, I am extremely pleased with this CD, and highly recommend it to everyone! By they way, I used this CD to introduce my own children to ABBA, and now they walk around singing some of the same songs that I did at their age!


THE BEST GREATEST HITS ALBUM EVER   May 12, 2004
 14 out of 17 found this review helpful

I recently read an article on the most reputable American music magazine, Billboard Magazine, about this album being one of the top sellers worldwide of all time. It has sold 30 Million copies around the world, and here in UK it has sold almost 4 million copies! Then I learned that ABBA has sold over 350 million albums worldwide. Wow! Only the Beatles and Elvis have sold more, accoring to the article. I knew they had many number ones here in UK, but did not know they were so big in the world. The article explained that ABBA was bigger than the Beatles in many Latin American countries, in Russia, Viet Nam, Netherlands (where 3 out of every household owns an ABBA record) and in Australia.

I figured out I should give ABBA a try. i needed to understand why so many liked this group, and I did not even own one of their CDs.

I had only heard Dancing Queen, Waterloo, and Take A Chance On Me, so I bought this album. I am now an ABBA fan. I usually don't like pop, but ABBA has finally won me over. After several listens, I decided that I have never EVER heard melodies this good. They are fresh, timeless, and like U2's Bono said, "I think ABBA have a pure joy to their music, and that’s what makes them extraordinary!" The music is so joyous even when there is melancholy and drama added. The music is so much more complex than I had given ABBA credit for --- before really listening.

My favorite music acts are U2, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan. Now ABBA has joined them.

I did some research and found other quotes about ABBA from U2 members and others:

Bjork: “ABBA saved my life, it’s undeniable. Arrival is a happy record. ‘Dancing Queen’ is the biggest song in pop-music history, pure ecstasy, it makes you want to fly!”

Richard Ashcroft, from The Verve: "‘Dancing Queen’ is one of my favourite songs of all time’," "In ‘Dancing Queen,’ taking it as a songwriter, it’s just one of the most perfectly crafted pieces of pop music. It makes me feel good. Life is just moments, you know what I mean? And music’s about capturing those moments. Every time I hear ‘feel the beat of the tambourine/oh yeah’ it makes a chemical react in my brain. Something happens in my body and I feel good!"

Elvis Costello: “We stole them like crazy, and they dragged these things into pop music, these big double octave flourishes on the piano that seemed right straight out of Rachmaninoff”

The Edge, from U2: “ABBA have written the best pop music of all time.”

I agree completely. ABBA is way up there.